AV solutions have changed fast, and in 2026 it’s no longer just screens and speakers. It’s a business system that supports communication, collaboration, safety messaging, and the customer experience. Many teams still treat AV as a one-off install, but modern AV technology behaves more like IT: it needs updates, monitoring, standards, and consistent performance across multiple spaces.
We’ll cover what AV leaders should prioritise in 2026, plus where commercial AV overlaps with digital signage as those lines keep shrinking. If your AV solutions deliver on these, you’ll avoid the usual cycle of downtime and support tickets.
The Evolution of AV Technology Systems
AV has shifted from hardware stacks to connected platforms. Traditional setups were fixed-room installs with costly gear, manual configuration, and reactive onsite fixes, with few updates and little reporting. In 2026-era deployments, AV technology behaves like software: virtualised, often cloud-managed, and updated through planned rollouts.
Connectivity is now central, because AV shares enterprise networks, raising the bar for uptime, security, access control, and visibility. Organisations also expect full lifecycle management: remote monitoring, analytics, support, and predictable refresh cycles.
What to Focus On in 2026
Here are five priorities worth backing.
(1) AV over IP maturity
AV-over-IP is moving past pilots. Standardisation is the next step. Use consistent design patterns. Segment your network properly. Set performance targets that matter, like latency, reliability, and redundancy. If you can’t define “good,” you can’t deliver it.
(2) Remote monitoring and proactive support
Visibility changes everything. Choose platforms that show what’s happening across rooms, campuses, and venues. Track health metrics like device status, connectivity, and faults. This is how you cut downtime. It’s also how you reduce support tickets without adding headcount.
(3) Cybersecurity and compliance
Treat AV endpoints like any network device. Patch them. Manage credentials. Control access. Log activity where needed. Work with IT to build shared standards. Don’t run AV beside IT. Run it with IT.
(4) Interoperability and vendor flexibility
Lock-in can look convenient at first. Then it becomes expensive. Favour AV solutions that integrate cleanly with collaboration platforms, signage CMS tools, and building systems. Make integration a buying rule, not a “nice to have.”
(5) Experience-first design
The user experience still decides whether AV is loved or blamed. Measure friction. How long does it take to start a meeting? How easy is content sharing? Is speech clear in the back row? Great commercial AV should feel invisible when it works. When it fails, it should recover fast.
AV vs Digital Signage: Where They Overlap
AV and digital signage have different starting points, but they share more ground than many teams think.
AV often prioritises real-time audio and video. It powers collaboration, live events, and controlled environments where timing matters. Digital signage focuses on scheduled content distribution. It supports brand messages, operational updates, and wayfinding across sites.
Now the overlap. Both rely on the same infrastructure. Displays. Players. Networks. Mounting. Power. Ongoing maintenance. Both also chase the same outcomes: clarity, consistency, reliability, and audience impact.
How AV Technology and Digital Signage Are Converging
Convergence is already happening, and it’s practical. The same screens can support meetings in the morning, wayfinding at lunch, safety alerts in a crisis, and brand content in the afternoon. The mode changes based on time, location, or triggers.
Control is centralising too. IT, commercial AV, and communications teams are aligning on standards, content rules, and escalation paths. That alignment reduces conflict. It also speeds up response when something goes wrong.
Automation is the final push. Room occupancy can trigger the right screen state. Schedules can shift content automatically. Incident response can override everything in seconds, without someone running around with a USB stick.
The takeaway is clear. The future isn’t “AV or signage.” It’s coordinated visual communications, delivered through connected AV solutions and managed like a business capability.
Conclusion
In 2026, prioritise AV solutions that scales, stays secure, and is easy to manage. Recognise the overlap with signage. Plan for convergence across screens, content, and control. If your commercial AV can’t be monitored, updated, and managed like IT, it will become a cost centre.
Want help planning next steps? Get in touch with Engagis to map the right AV solutions for your spaces.
